Phone scam artists target elderly
The alert clerk thought something was fishy and suggested the woman contact police.
As it turned out, she was one of three people, that police knew of, to be contacted in Grey and Bruce counties and subjected to the “Emergency Scam.”
This issue was visited before when the OPP, in cooperation with the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, issued a release last year to warn people about widespread reports of this scam.
According the police, the modus operandi is to telephone a potential victim while posing as representing a family member or friend who is in urgent need of cash.
Often the scenario involves an accident, arrest, hospitalization or imprisonment with a request that cash be sent through a money transfer company, such as Western Union or Money Gram or in the form of a postal money order.
In recent variations, the messages have been sent via e-mail from hijacked email accounts.
The three recent cases saw elderly females receiving telephone calls on Monday morning. In each case, the phone connection seemed poor, making voice recognition difficult.
The callers identified themselves as a grandson, using a name blurted out by the intended victim as they attempted to decipher who was on the line.
Two of the woman receiving the calls realized something was amiss and reported it, but a third actually went to the post office and was ready to send close to $2,000 to the location provided.
Police say anyone receiving a call like this should be suspicious and take steps to verify the identity of the caller and the probability of their story.
As well, they are encouraged to get a second opinion and if in doubt contact police or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC).
The CAFC, formerly known as Phonebusters, is a joint effort involving the OPP, RCMP and Competition Bureau of Canada. Their website is www. phonebusters.com and they can be contacted toll-free at 1-888-495- 8501.
Post new comment